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Tricks, Mischief and Mayhem
A little girl brings home more than she bargained for after winning a stuffed bear at a carnival side show. After saving her family from one kind of predator, a protective mother releases an Australian legend hungry for blood and flesh. In his diary, a killer of historical notoriety tells the story of what really happened that night...in the dark...Tricks, Mischief and Mayhem is the debut collection of short stories from Australian Shadows Award finalist Daniel I. Russell.
- GenresHorror
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2013
6 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Daniel I. Russell
53 books151 followersAustralian Shadows Award finalist D.l I. Russell has been featured publications such as The Zombie Feed from Apex, Pseudopod and Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #43. Author of Samhane, Come Into Darkness, Critique, Mother's Boys, The Collector and Tricks, Mischief and Mayhem, D. I. Russell is also the former vice-president of the Australian Horror Writers' Association and was a special guest editor of Midnight Echo.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 4, 2013
A diverse collection of horror tales that features many horror tropes, including monsters, ghosts, vampires and zombies, but written using Daniel’s unique voice, so there’s always something surprising or different. Stemming a number of years, this collection shows the author’s progression through his formative years. From visceral through to subtle and humorous, he runs the gamut showing that he can turn his hand to all types of creative output. You won’t only leave the light on, you’ll make sure the door’s locked too as Mr Russell takes you by the hand and leads you through a dark landscape of terror and unease. A horror feast on which to sate the cerebral palate.
July 25, 2013
Another excellent collection from one of the rising stars of Oz horror. Russell's first collection is an eclectic mix of dark humour and visceral carnage. Ranging from the Australian bush to gritty northern England, there is something here for most fans of the genre. Mythology, noir, history,sexual perversion, zombies, clowns, dolls and killer plants are all woven masturfully into the ouvre of Mr Russell.
July 16, 2016
I enjoyed these stories. Sometimes an author will lure readers in and truly give a piece of himself, making stories, reader, and author all feel connected. That is amazing! This book gave me that. All dark ... from humorous to grisly ... monsters of all kinds ... This diverse collection will introduce you to Russell and his style. Kick back and enjoy the read!
December 6, 2014
When I first read their work, I rarely rave about an author who is new to me. I've been too often disappointed when they turn out to be a one-shot wonder, or when later work doesn't live up to the initial promise. Daniel I. Russell is not only the exception, he's the exception that needs to be held up as an example as a goal for others.
Almost every one of Russell's short stories contained in this volume is good enough to be the anchor piece in any anthology. I read this volume in bed over the course of several nights and, by the time I got about halfway through it, I found myself silently hoping that the next story would be pedestrian or bland or even uninteresting -- simply so that I could fall asleep absent the risk of nightmares from the last thing I'd read!
To be frank, I initially had little hope for this book. The introduction by Brett McBean who, admittedly, had never met Russell when he wrote it, was a ludicrous piece of promotional puffery that made me, quite literally, groan when I read it. But with the first story, my skepticism vanished and I was hooked.
The reader will find a fair share of monsters and other-wordly critters in this volume, albeit not as many as one would expect. But that's not where Russell's strength lies. He has an uncanny and enviable ability to project some very disturbing emotions onto his readers. A sense of creepiness pervades some stories, a claustrophobic unease permeates others, a feeling of distress and impending doom might color another. What's more, and here's where the professional envy come into play, Russell manages to do this sub-textually -- a technique that is truly challenging.
As an author, Russell evidences the additional admirable quality of not needing every one of his stories to end neatly and with all of the ramifications explained yet, unlike less skillful and more pretentious authors, he doesn't leave the reader dangling and puzzled as to just what the heck happened in the story or what it was supposed to be about. He provokes thought without creating confusion.
These are simple little pieces which, without exception, pack a literary gut punch to the solar plexus. And there's something for everyone here: a ghost story, a monster tale, a piece about a killer clown...there's even a zombie bit or two. And nothing, not even the zombie piece, is anything like what the reader expects. Russell has a way of perceiving the world which, while simple and uncomplicated, is somehow vastly different from most other writers I've read.
If I have any criticism of this author's work it's that I'm not quite sure yet if he'll be able to sustain that visceral sense of unease that he is so adept at creating throughout the course of a full length novel. But, I can tell you this, I am certainly eager to find out!
If you are a horror fan -- especially if you are a fan of "human" horror in the vein of Jack Ketchum and his ilk, as opposed to the simple slash-and-fear kind of books -- you owe it to yourself to grab a copy of TRICKS, MISCHIEF AND MAYHEM. The only time you'll regret having done so is in those moments just before you fall asleep when, thanks to Daniel Russell, the ominous shadows in the corners of your bedroom suddenly look...different.
Almost every one of Russell's short stories contained in this volume is good enough to be the anchor piece in any anthology. I read this volume in bed over the course of several nights and, by the time I got about halfway through it, I found myself silently hoping that the next story would be pedestrian or bland or even uninteresting -- simply so that I could fall asleep absent the risk of nightmares from the last thing I'd read!
To be frank, I initially had little hope for this book. The introduction by Brett McBean who, admittedly, had never met Russell when he wrote it, was a ludicrous piece of promotional puffery that made me, quite literally, groan when I read it. But with the first story, my skepticism vanished and I was hooked.
The reader will find a fair share of monsters and other-wordly critters in this volume, albeit not as many as one would expect. But that's not where Russell's strength lies. He has an uncanny and enviable ability to project some very disturbing emotions onto his readers. A sense of creepiness pervades some stories, a claustrophobic unease permeates others, a feeling of distress and impending doom might color another. What's more, and here's where the professional envy come into play, Russell manages to do this sub-textually -- a technique that is truly challenging.
As an author, Russell evidences the additional admirable quality of not needing every one of his stories to end neatly and with all of the ramifications explained yet, unlike less skillful and more pretentious authors, he doesn't leave the reader dangling and puzzled as to just what the heck happened in the story or what it was supposed to be about. He provokes thought without creating confusion.
These are simple little pieces which, without exception, pack a literary gut punch to the solar plexus. And there's something for everyone here: a ghost story, a monster tale, a piece about a killer clown...there's even a zombie bit or two. And nothing, not even the zombie piece, is anything like what the reader expects. Russell has a way of perceiving the world which, while simple and uncomplicated, is somehow vastly different from most other writers I've read.
If I have any criticism of this author's work it's that I'm not quite sure yet if he'll be able to sustain that visceral sense of unease that he is so adept at creating throughout the course of a full length novel. But, I can tell you this, I am certainly eager to find out!
If you are a horror fan -- especially if you are a fan of "human" horror in the vein of Jack Ketchum and his ilk, as opposed to the simple slash-and-fear kind of books -- you owe it to yourself to grab a copy of TRICKS, MISCHIEF AND MAYHEM. The only time you'll regret having done so is in those moments just before you fall asleep when, thanks to Daniel Russell, the ominous shadows in the corners of your bedroom suddenly look...different.
November 4, 2025
A better than usual anthology with some nasty stuff sprinkled here and there. Nicely done.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews